A Question For Her
by Salivour
Summary: Draco's worries of asking her a question.


Draco shoved his hands further into his pockets and tried to ignore the stares and muttered comments. He gave one girl a tight smile, and regretted his attempt at friendliness when she froze before quickly skipping to the other side of the street and hurried off. _Sheltered brat,_ he thought. Honestly, he was probably the scariest thing she'd seen all day. Though he mostly regretted, once more, not having checked that this was a Hogsmeade weekend. So, annoyingly, the place was swarming with students.

He was so tempted to turn around and go home. Really, it could wait. It's not like she'd really notice. Heck, Draco wasn't even sure if she'd… Draco shook his head. If he talked himself out of this again he wouldn't try for another nine months. The jewelry shop would at least be somewhat clear, surely, as it was of the price range of students; especially the sort of jewelry shop a Malfoy was seen at. Draco breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was indeed almost deserted. Just two girls giggling over a pair of ridiculous matching bracelets.

The bells chimed gently as he walked in. The assistant looked at him a moment, an inviting smile trying to work it's way onto her face before she seemed to decide to stay safely behind her little counter. Draco didn't help by glaring at her. He let out a sigh, and trekked around the shop to their display of rings. He was so tempted to just stop by the necklaces, get her another nice one. Something to match that beautiful violet dress she'd gotten only a week before. But no. He had to get this for her - for him, for them.

He let out another sigh and made himself study the rings laid out before him. His eyes roamed over them, not really taking them in. They all looked the same. Band of silver and gold, nothing special at all. Maybe he should just get one custom made? But that was a whole other difficulty. He didn't know what to get. No magic moment of finding the perfect ring, no inspired way of asking. Maybe he should just get a plain silver ring for her. A crappy ring anyone could give her to symbolise his stupid, crappy love for her.

"Do you need a hand?"

It took Draco a moment to realise that the assistant had spoken to him. He shook his head, pushed off of the glass cabinet, not caring if he left fingerprints, and strode back outside. Another entirely useless day. He glanced a help wanted sign in a window. Maybe he should answer one of those ads. Working in a store would at least fill up his days when she wasn't around. And really, he couldn't kid himself that she'd be around forever.

Great. He was going to get emotional. He stood in the middle of the Hogsmeade street, eyes fixed at the ground as the snow just started to land on his blonde hair. His jaw set tight, fists bunched at his sides. He just had to do it. He could say to the assistant that he had just needed a moment to think. Ask for the first ring that he pointed at. Then he'd just spit it out over dinner. That way, she could say no and then he'd know that she'd say no and could stop worrying. He screwed his eyes shut, took a deep breath and spun on his heel back to the shop.

* * *

Draco clutched the small package to his chest. He barely knew what the ring looked like. Some gold thing with a blue stone. Not that it mattered. He took his shoes off in the hall, groaning as he heard voices down the passage. Of course she needed to have guests tonight, when he was finally going to ask. He could have a shower first, maybe they'd be gone by the time he had finished. But no luck.

"Draco!"

He rolled his eyes and went into the lounge. "Potter, Weasley," he said. His eyes softened as they looked at the woman who had been kind enough to allow him a space in her home for these past three years. "Hermione. I was just going to go up and-"

"Sit down, Draco," Hermione said gently.

"Yeah, come on," Weasley - Ron - said with a grin. "Loosen up." That just made Draco tense all the more, sitting awkwardly on the couch. He certainly couldn't ask her now. Not in front of those two, even if they could have a civil conversation now. He'd have to wait until tomorrow, if he could manage to ask her then. Spit it out at breakfast. He could get up before her, make breakfast. Yes, that was a good idea. Though he should probably go shopping first, make sure they had that particular muesli she liked. So, Wednesday then. He'd just ask her Wednesday. Although what if she-

"Draco?" Hermione's clipped voice cut across his thoughts. "Are you even listening?"

He folded his arms. "Not really," he said, "I'm tired."

Hermione raised one eyebrow. "That's always your excuse," she said.

"Yeah, yeah," said Draco scornfully, "I'm just a good for nothing-" He broke off as tears threatened. There was no way he would cry. "I'm having a shower," he bit out. He stomped out of the room, trying to ignore the way his heart clenched as Potter wrapped an arm around Hermione. Though it clenched even worse at the way she hugged him right back, intimate and familiar.

* * *

The two idiots were still there when Draco had finally finished drawing patterns on the steamed glass and sitting under the hot spray of the water. He had that small package in his pyjama pocket, just there until he could actually think of somewhere to hide it, hoping that Hermione wouldn't notice and ask what it was. He just wanted to go downstairs, get and glass of water and go to bed.

Hermione was, finally, saying her goodbyes in the entrance. Potter raised and awkward hand in greeting when he saw Draco staring at them. He didn't know quite what made him, but Hermione's name burst from his mouth. He froze when he realised that he has practically shouted. All three stared at him.

At that moment, his rational mind wanted to say good night and that he was just off to bed. But his heart wouldn't let him. His heart and mind clashed, as he was left making meaningless hand gestures as he drew out the small package in his pocket, holding jt tight to his chest in shaking hands. He knew he must be going very red.

A tear rolled down his cheek as he saw Hermione standing in the doorway, a small, sad smile on her lips as the streetlight outside bathed her in an ethereal glow, reflecting off her curls and making her beautiful brown eyes sparkle. Her voice caught in her throat, before she said sadly, to no one in particular, "Have I been living with him too long or did that just make sense?"

To Draco's shock, she walked towards him, and caught his shaking hands in her own. She smiled at him, looking as though he could be something special.

"I- Hermi-" The words stuttered in his throat, not coming out. "Why would you…?"

"Oh," said Hermione, sliding even closer to him. She was so close now. "Because you're smart, kind, gorgeous, an absolute worrywart, a wonderful cook. Because you know how to make a bed, know your way around a library, and have no clue of how to fold anything. And, Draco Malfoy, you make me love you because I know you feel the same way. And I just want you to ask me so I can say yes!"

Shaking, Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione, letting her cry onto his shoulder.

"I should get a better ring, then," he said.

Hermione slapped him. "I don't care what the silly ring looks like," she said, voice breaking as tears dripped down her face, "I wouldn't care if it was bright pink and plastic."

Unwillingly, Draco's lips quirked into a smile. "Would...would you…" He breathed in, and then said, as quickly as he could, "Would you marry me?"

Hermione's smile was worth it. "Yes."

Draco didn't know how long they held each other for. But it wasn't until Potter and Weasley started a round of applause that he realised that he was yet to give his brand new fiance her ring. "I love you," he whispered as he slid it onto her finger.

"I love you too," she said.

* * *

 **Prompts:** Hogsmeade, Draco Malfoy, Romance, "Have I been living with him too long or did that just make sense?"

1445 words


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